Rating: 
Summary: Gregory Peck's finest hour!!
Review: If you want to see great acting, watch this movie. Gregory Peck's pressence in this film is awe inspiring. This is his greatest role in one of the best movies ever made. I honestly think this was one movie that made a difference in changing the course in the Civil Rights of all people at that time.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated Movie
Review: I have NO idea why everyone is always talking about how moving this movie was. I saw it and it was AWFUL. I wasted a few hours of my day watching a boring, slow paced, black and white film about nothing. Scout was OBNOXIOUS!!! Her father was so boring, Jem was the only character with a personality. if you want a REAL movie about racism watch Higher Learning, Roots, or best of all Do The Right Thing. I would never reccommend this movie EVER.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a big deal
Review: This movie, is just for a lack of better word-dry.The acting from Gregory Peck is wooden, and might I add that he is the same exact thing in every movie. Scout, who is supposed to be a cute little girl comes off as a dumb brat who you just want to smack most of the time.The film moves at a seemingly pointless slow pace, and does not really delve into its topics deeply.It just brushes them off lightly.Why people find this movie deep I"ll never know. The book is also not particualrly mind blowing, but of the two, I'd take the book.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible!
Review: I like black and white movies sometimes, but the quality of this movie sucks. Extremely long and boring.... I would hate to watch it again!
Rating:
Summary: The Summer We Discovered Life
Review: Every so often, as surely as night follows day, a film comes along that manages to transport us from our everyday lives and into a time and place that is recalled through memories of better and in a reversal of fortunes, turbulent times. To Kill A Mockingbird is such a film. In a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee, the small town of Macomb, Alabama is portrayed in the summer of 1932, during the deepest depression that the United States had ever experienced. Over the course of the next year and a half, events will burrow inside this sleepy southern town and the lives of its residents will be transported by actions, ideas, perceptions and convictions that will influence one and all in ways that will ring true for years to come. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer and widower, raising two small children, Scout (Mary Badham) and her older brother Jem (Phillip Alford). Into their lives enters a visitor, Dill (John Megna) from Meridian, Mississippi, come to spend two weeks with his Aunt Stephanie (Alice Ghostley). Macomb is a town with nothing to do and if there were, no money to spend on it. The stage is being set for a life shattering episode that will not go quietly into that good night. Childhood holds its fascinations, its myths, its coming of age and through the eyes of the three children, the audience is allowed to peer into the adult world around them as perceived through the minds and souls of innocence that will be all too easily shattered as time whistles down the track. One of the stories woven so masterfully within its covers is the local urban legend of bogeyman, Boo Radley (Robert Duval), who lives on the same block as the Finch family. In a narration, rather like playing telephone, his persona takes on all the familiar attributes of a raving lunatic, a monster out for blood. His aura becomes the end all for Scout, Jem and Dill as they seek to master the mystery surrounding Boo and the ability to live to tell the tale! Into this world of innocence, a shattering crescendo of complexity wraps itself in the lives of the townspeople in the form of an alleged rape of a white woman, Mayella Violet Ewell (Collin Wilcox) by a black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters). Atticus Finch is called upon to act as counsel for Robinson and in doing so, the stage has been set for a dance with race relations and the exemplary lengths that are gone to in order to allow justice to prevail in the face of malcontent. The performances throughout To Kill A Mockingbird are stunning. Gregory Peck, as the gentleman lawyer, mired in small town attitudes and thoughts that were so representational in the southern gothic sphere, has collected and held a restrained order to his character, and in the process, he has allowed us all to be on the receiving end of hate as conveyed through the actions of small minds and small people. The children, especially Mary Badham, are siblings of more than a movie making venture. They show the absence of preconceived notions, and the guile of beings before the actions of adults can render their world as lost and gone with the shedding of time. James Anderson as Tom Ewell is the complete representation of oily slime as Mayella's father. He embodies all of the hate and prejudice that continues to be harboured to this day in the souls of those who would attempt to wield their vision of the way things should and ought to be. He has a foul baseness that lingers like a bad rash as he attempts to invoke his arguments through drunken bullying and hatred. Collin Willcox as Mayella is excruciatingly convincing as the bored, housebound white woman who tries to tempt Tom Robinson into kissing her and through her actions sets in motion a rollercoaster of tragedy to come. Her speech to the assembled courtroom is superb and as the audience, you feel her anger and resentment at having to be put in such a position, having to lie to save face and what little position she has in the town. Brock Peters as the aforementioned Robinson is equally sure in the allotted time he spends on the screen. There is a noble demeanor to his bearing, and yet we are aware of the restrictions that blacks were held to in their relationships with whites at the time. Robert Mulligan, the director and Horton Foote, the screenwriter, have presented us with a look into our pasts and faithfully etched a portrait of quiet and artfully rendered proportions that draw us into the canvas and the lives of those assembled. We have walked a mile in their shoes and been under their skin. Foote worried about being able to do justice to Lee's novel, but he worried for nothing. He has completely evoked an era that now rests behind clouds of dust, blown by the winds of time into oblivion. The cinematography by Russell Harlan and the set decoration by Oliver Emert carry us back through the courtesy of black and white to a depiction seen only in old photographs and clouding memories of those who lived in those precarious times. Black and white films seem to have had a curse thrust upon them by the younger generation today, as boring and tedious, but through the courtesies extended by Harlan and Emert, we are richer for those perceptions that would harken back throughout the pages of history. Elmer Bernstein's film score carries us like an old friend and helps us to make our acquaintances with the characters held within this framework. He has achieved much with a simple theme and persuades us that said simplicity is fulfilled with less rather than more. To Kill A Mockingbird is beautifully haunting and having been made in the 60's, at the height of the Civil Rights movement, it garners our attention to stop and take the time to truly 'see' what the human race is all about and what it can and should be, if taken over the bumps in the road and onto a path of sincere honesty and purpose. No special effects were needed, no huge Hollywood budget, no splashing of a story that had a happy ending for everyone involved. It is an open book into the realities of a world tilting temporarily off its axis, and being brought back on track through the goodness that sits in the hearts, minds and souls of mankind, if given half a chance. See it and be amazed at what real moviemaking is all about.
Rating:
Summary: Killing the mad dog of prejudice
Review: Midway through this outstanding movie, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) defends a black man accused of raping a white woman in an Alabama town during the Depression. As the tensions of the trial reach fever pitch, Atticus is summoned home to protect his family from a rabid dog. The mad dog, an obvious symbol of the madness of prejudice (and the only symbolism in the movie) is killed by just one shot from Finch. This is one of the simple themes of the movie: all you have to do is confront and face bigotry, in order to eliminate it. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is undoubtedly one of the most important and most engaging movies of post-WWII America, and a cinematic emblem for the civil rights movement of that era. From the incredible opening credits, complete with Elmer Bernstein's heartbreakingly beautiful score, you know you're in for a great movie. Seen through the eyes of Atticus' tomboy daughter, Scout, the film runs the familiar gamut of a child's world: the scary neighbor; the new kid in town; the first day of school; and the need to be close to a parent. But the aptly named Scout also sees something that most other children do not: the dark world of grown-ups' hate. But Scout is not just an observer; she's a fighter who's not afraid to duke it out with the boys in her school. In this way, she is a sort of foil for her father whose fighting spirit is internal, calm, but just as effective. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is full of outstanding performances. Gregory Peck is appropriately understated, although passionate when the moment calls for it. A very young Robert Duvall, in the bit but pivotal role of Boo Radley, conveys the pathos of a manchild locked away from the rest of the world. I defy anyone to watch Brock Peters as the wrongly accused Tom Robinson and not be moved. However, the movie is carried by the amazing and convincing performances of the child actors, Mary Badham as Scout and Philip Alford as her brother Jem. They are so genuine, so not like child "stars" (because they weren't), that, at times, you forget you are watching little actors. This is a film to be watched on several levels but none more important than its stirring interpretation of childhood rapidly coming to terms with the adult world around them. It sounds trite and banal, but Horton Foote's screeplay, Robert Mulligan's textured direction, and the performances, sidestep any temptation to take the easy path of cliche. This is a demanding movie that requires a lot from us as film watchers and as human beings.
Rating: 
Summary: NEAT MOVIE, BUT NOT THE OPUS IT'S MADE OUT TO BE
Review: The narrative is smooth and the screenplay keeps you on your edge. Peck's good. The setting has a charged undercurrent of racism, which I am sure must've been very poignant during the movie's release. Yes, it's a great movie, especially on the digitally mastered DVD. But it is not the magnum opus that people never seem to get enough of raving about. Perhaps it just hasn't aged that well. The story is set in Alabama during the Great Depression. It follows the life of Scout Finch, a little girl growing up in those wretched times. Basically, it's about what's going on with the town and what's going on with Scout and her family throughout her growth, leading to different storylines of events that happens to Scout and the rest of the Finch's. Probably the only storyline I really appreciated was the story of Tom Robinson's trial. Atticus (Scout's father) was defending Tom in a rape case, and since Tom was black, this was taboo in Maycomb. This pithily showed unfairness and how cruel prejudice and hate can be. Maybe if the movie was only centered around that story instead of throwing in aspects like Boo Radley, Dill, and others, I would consider calling this movie a classic. It didn't really help that Scout, who is supposed to be an innocent unknowing little girl, actually comes off as an annoying, loud, obnoxious brat that you'd want to slap throughout the entire movie. There's some good acting although Gregory Peck's wooden oh-so-conscientious face was nowhere near Oscar worthy, had it not been for the controversial theme. In the end, the courtroom scenes are perhaps the only engaging bit I would recommend this movie for.
Rating:
Summary: A small town lesson for the whole world
Review: It's easy to think "To Kill a Mockingbird" is older than it is. Released in 1962, the same year James Bond was immortalised in "Dr. No," director Robert Mulligan chose to film in black & white, despite Hollywood's rush to adopt the new Kodachrome II color film. Since the story is set in the 1930's, the classic look of the film adds weight to its historic reality. Adapted from Harper Lee's only book, which won a Pulitzer prize, the script itself won an academy award. Added to this is a stellar cast who manage to hold their own against the amazing performance given by, Gregory Peck, an actor at the peak of his abilities. For those who also enjoy Robert Duvall's huge body of work, it may be interesting to note this film as his first, in a non-speaking but pivotal role as Boo Radley. It would be easy to dismiss an old film that deals with the race issue in Alabama. Some might think this topic has been done to death and, to an extent, they are right. But To Kill a Mockingbird is not solely about racism. It deals with honesty, justice, fear, childhood, quick judgements and parenthood. Even the race card is dealt with fairly, without blowing things out to sensational proportions. It shows that minor, selfish decisions, which rely on the racism in others, can breed larger evils. An adult Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch narrates much of the story but it is her father, Atticus, around which the narrative hinges. Played with subtle dignity by Peck, Atticus is a small town Lawyer who agrees to defend Tom Robinson against charges of Rape. He agrees, in the full knowledge that many of his neighbours will hate him for defending a black man and still others will expect him to put up only a token effort. Instead, Atticus does what we know he will... his best. There is an interesting contrast between what we see of Atticus and how his two children describe him. Apparently he's too old to do anything, like play ball, and they are a bit embarrassed by his quite ways. The trial and its associated moral battles put their father squarely in the spotlight and not in a good way. He and they are attacked and ridiculed but in the end Scout and Jem see a different picture of their old Pop. A man who is strong enough to stand against hatred, and brave enough to highlight the weaknesses of flawed white girl against the strengths of an honest black man. The name of the film is taken from one of Attcus's rules relating to using a rifle. Jem relates his father's instruction "to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird...Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncribs, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us." There are several Mockingbirds in this movie; the misunderstood Boo Radley, Tom Robins and even Atticus. For me though, the film is defined when Reverend Sykes asks Scout to stand up in the court gallery, after a failed defence, saying "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin."
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: I seldom find a movie version of a story that is at least as good as the book in which it's based, but "To Kill A Mockingbird" is a rare exception: the film is, if possible, even better than the book. Gregory Peck is superb here as the lawyer Atticus Finch, an everyman thrown into the role of a hero of sorts among his prejudiced community. Another highlight is the young actors playing his children; their acting, particularly Mary Badham as Scout. Her final scene with "Boo" made me cry, which didn't happen even when I read the book. This is child acting like Macaulay Culkin never succeeded in showing. The film gives a tender but penetrating portrayal of the relationship between the widowed father and his children, of the children and the mysterious Boo, and of a community divided by hate. Unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review: To Kill a Mockingbird, nominated for eight academy awards, is an epic story of the time honored codes of the Old South with mystery swirling around the everyday lives of Jim and Scout Finch in the form of their neighbor, Boo Radley. Gregory Peck in his role as Atticus Finch was phenomenal! Peck will always be remembered as Atticus, an entirely humble, reflective, courageous, courteous and sage man. A widower with two children, Atticus was secure and playful and very much a parent. The story focused on Atticus' views of life as he delivered them to Jem and Scout, and their interpretation of, and reactions to, those views was reflected throughout the movie. It was about a way of life and a passage from innocence to experience -- and back to innocence. The story focused on Atticus' dramatic representation of a black man accused of raping a white woman at a time when racial tension was strong, when everyone knew that black men lied, that they were immoral creatures, and that they were not to be trusted around white women. The opening of the movie shows the cultural landscape of Maycomb, a typical small Southern town, set in the year of 1932 during the Big Depression. The streets through town were mostly dirt roads, with farmers in their horse-drawn wagons going to town. Had the movie not been in black/white, you would not have had the feel of that small, steamy town with dust eddying around the wheels of the horse-drawn wagons. There were very few cars, but you got the feeling of the time -- as if you were in the car with Atticus, when used his. The buildings were in period, as was the courtroom. The clock striking in the background during the courtoom scene had a profound effect of the measure of time. Atticus' representation of Tom Robinson and his cross-examination of the woman Tom was accused of raping and her father will forever be the most dramatic courtroom scenes of all time. The outcome will be forever dramatic, filled with a feeling of injustice, hopelessness and despair. Through the movie you are allowed to become a part of Atticus' family and their everyday lives. You are introduced to the other characters and get to know them and the intimate details of their lives. You become a part of the story. You feel their hope, their pain, their fears. Atticus' representation of Tom Robinson may have caused Atticus the lose of some friendships, but he gained respect from the community -- blacks and whites -- that is heartwarming. No one but Atticus could have represented Tom. No one but Gregory Peck could have been Atticus. It is a movie for all times. Never forgotten, forever watched and rewatched. It has a message for everyone that transcends time. It is a brilliant movie. Yes, it would have been like killing a mockingbird.
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